Provannid and provannid-like gastropods from the Late Cretaceous cold seeps of Hokkaido (Japan) and the fossil record of the Provannidae (Gastropoda: Abyssochrysoidea)

Abstract

A fauna of provannid and provannid‐like shells is described from Upper Cretaceous seep carbonates in Hokkaido, Japan. We describe two new provannid species, Provanna tappuensis sp. nov. and Desbruyeresia kanajirisawensis sp. nov., with preserved protoconchs of unquestionable provannid type with decollate apex. This material confirms the occurrence of Provannidae as early as the Middle Cenomanian. We also describe Hokkaidoconcha gen. nov. and a new family Hokkaidoconchidae fam. nov., with two named species, H. hikidai sp. nov. and H. tanabei sp. nov. Hokkaidoconchidae are possibly related to the Provannidae, judging from a similar, but not decollate larval shell, although the juvenile teleoconch whorls differ in being of a general cerithimorph appearance and the details of the aperture are unknown. Furthermore, we review the published fossil record of Provannidae and Abyssochrysidae, and we consider that in those older than the Eocene, there is no evidence preserved that unequivocally supports a position there. The Jurassic Acanthostrophia acanthica from Italy seems to be the oldest known record of Abyssochrysidae, and the most reliable occurrence of the family, older than from the Miocene. Other fossil, pre‐Miocene species that have been classified in the Abyssochryssidae are provisionally referred to Hokkaidoconchidae. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 154, 421–436.

The mitochondrial genome of Ifremeria nautilei and the phylogenetic position of the enigmatic deep-sea Abyssochrysoidea (Mollusca: Gastropoda)

“…This is in agreement with the oldest reliable fossil record of Abyssochrysidae, Acanthostrophia acanthica from Italy that traces back to the Middle Jurassic (Bajocian; 168-170 MYA) (Kaim et al, 2008). The earliest fossils of the families Provannidae and Hokkaidoconchidae are also found in seep deposits that date back to the Late Jurassic (Kaim et al, 2008;Kiel et al, 2008;Kiel, 2010). Overall, the position of Ifremeria in the reconstructed molecular phylogeny and the divergence time corresponding to that node in the timetree support that the origin of the Abyssochrisoidea is relatively modern (Late Mesozoic-Early Cenozoic), in agreement with the fossil record (Little and Vrijenhoek, 2003) and within the range (93-228 MYA) inferred based on universal mt and nuclear fragments (Johnson et al, 2010).…”

“…The earliest fossil assigned to mollusks is Kimberella (Fedonkin and Waggoner, 1997) MYA. This is in agreement with the oldest reliable fossil record of Abyssochrysidae, Acanthostrophia acanthica from Italy that traces back to the Middle Jurassic (Bajocian; 168-170 MYA) (Kaim et al, 2008). The earliest fossils of the families Provannidae and Hokkaidoconchidae are also found in seep deposits that date back to the Late Jurassic (Kaim et al, 2008;Kiel et al, 2008;Kiel, 2010).…”

“…These gastropods represent a relatively ancient lineage that has persisted since at least the Middle-Late Jurassic (Kaim et al, 2008;Kiel et al, 2008;Kiel, 2010). Therefore, this group of enigmatic gastropods constitutes a nice model system to test alternative hypotheses on the origin of the deep-sea hydrothermal vent and cold seep fauna.…”

“…The superfamily Abyssochrysoidea, as currently constructed (Sasaki et al, 2010) includes two extant families: Abyssochrysidae, with the only extant genus Abyssochrysos and the extinct genus Humptulipsia (Kiel, 2008), and Provannidae, which includes the extant genera Ifremeria, Provanna, Alviniconcha, Cordesia and Desbruyeresia (Sasaki et al, 2010) and the Late Pliocene fossil genus Kaneconcha (Kaim et al, 2012). Furthermore, the extinct family Hokkaidoconchidae (Kaim et al, 2008) has been also included in this superfamily, as well as the enigmatic extant genus Rubyspira, discovered from whale falls (Johnson et al, 2010). Phylogenetic relationships within the superfamily were reconstructed by (Johnson et al, 2010) based on a multi-gene data set, suggesting the paraphyly of Provannidae.…”

Two new species ofRetiskenea? (Gastropoda: Neomphalidae) from Lower Cretaceous hydrocarbon-seep carbonates of northern California

“…The fossil record of molluscs from chemosynthetic environments has been traced back to the Silurian (Little et al 1997;Campbell 2006), but the abun− dance and diversity of bivalves and gastropods in chemo− synthesis−based communities increased significantly during the Jurassic and Cretaceous (Campbell and Bottjer 1995a;Lit− tle and Vrijenhoek 2003;Kiel 2010). The earliest occurrences of many modern seep− and vent−restricted bivalve and gastro− pod genera was in the late Mesozoic (Little and Vrijenhoek 2003;Campbell 2006;Kiel and Little 2006;Kaim et al 2008aKaim et al , 2009Kiel 2010), a pattern also seen in sunken wood and ver− tebrate bone environments (Kaim et al 2008b(Kaim et al , 2011Kiel et al 2009). Although Upper Cretaceous chemosynthesis−based communities have been relatively well studied recently (e.g., Jenkins et al 2007aJenkins et al , b, 2008Kaim et al 2008aKaim et al , b, 2009Kaim et al , 2010Kiel et al 2008b), their Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous counterparts remain less well known (e.g., Sandy and Campbell 1994;Kiel and Campbell 2005;Camp− bell et al 2008;Kiel et al 2008aKiel et al , 2010Hammer et al 2011;Kaim 2011).…”